Category: Jesus

This school year, in addition to my administrative duties, I am teaching two classes of seventh grade boys, mostly twelve-year-olds. Our topic for the year is ‘the life of Christ’ and I feel privileged to lead these guys in the study of our Savior and the search for His will in our lives.

“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When He was twelve years old, they went up to the festival according to their custom.” (Luke 2:41-42)

Almost every student has recounted a time of being separated from his parents and each remembered the panic that ensued. No one had a story of being lost for three days though. And no seventh grader can fully comprehend what any parent feels as they search for a missing child. How relieved Mary and Joseph were to find their Son!

With Bibles closed, I asked my students to tell the reason the teachers in the temple courts were impressed with young Jesus. In each class a boy replied the way most adults who have gone to church all their lives would answer: “He was teaching them many things and they were impressed with His knowledge.” It is true that “everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47), but the Scripture does not say Jesus impressed His elders by teaching them. What we do read are three ways any twelve-year-old can amaze his teachers.

“After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)

“Guys,” I said, “Look what Jesus is showing us! When He was your age He knew how important it was to sit, listen, and ask good questions. You can do the same!”

As I gave this inspiring pep talk to my fifth period class, one of the students fell out of his chair. We’ve got a long way to go…

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

Some opponents of a life in close fellowship with God are not necessarily wrong in and of themselves. For example, it is good to be aware of what is taking place in the world so we can share kingdom-centered thinking with others, but when troubling news and endless quarreling detract from our joy in the Lord, we can easily grow depressed with problems we will never solve. In communion with Him, God wants to give His children the ability to walk in the light and be peaceful voices of hope in a dark world.

Opponents of fellowship with God often tempt us to only seek pleasure in the temporal. As a coach, I’ve seen many benefits of athletics. Young people learn to work hard, to work together, to persevere though hardship, and to show good sportsmanship in all types of situations. But when a sport or other activity consumes all our thinking and time, a person can easily forget the eternal purposes of God.

Even work can be an opponent to fellowship with the One who loves us most. “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered. ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:40-42)

Incredibly, Jesus says ‘only one thing is needed’… surely the one thing is Him! The late Henri Nouwen had a chance to visit with Mother Teresa one time. Here’s the account of his experience:

Once, quite a few years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I was struggling with many things at the time and decided to use the occasion to ask Mother Teresa’s advice. As soon as we sat down I started explaining all my problems and difficulties – trying to convince her of how complicated it all was! When, after ten minutes of elaborate explanation, I finally became silent, Mother Teresa looked at me quietly and said: “Well, when you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do anything which you know is wrong… you will be fine!”

When she said this, I realized suddenly that she had punctured my big balloon of complex self-complaints and pointed me far beyond myself to the place of real healing. In fact, I was so stunned by her answer that I didn’t feel any desire or need to continue the conversation. The many people waiting outside the room to see her could probably use her time better than I. So I thanked her and left. Her few words became engraved on my heart and mind to this day.

As we live on this earth, let’s not forget the ‘one thing’ that is needed.

“Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Quote from Here and Now by Henri Nouwen, The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994, pp 118-119

The One who voluntarily made Himself nothing is now everything!

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Lion of Judah, the Mighty One. He is the Savior who calls us friends and intercedes at the right hand of the Father. His Spirit lives in us and He bestows every spiritual blessing. He is the Vine and we are the branches who receive His redemption, righteousness, holiness, and wisdom. He is our peace, our life… He is everything.

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of another school year. I want to thank my faithful friend Steve Wolf for helping with another year of writing. The Wolfs live in Colorado so I hope to see more of them after Kinsey, Jordan, and Owen move to Denver.

I plan to leave with a group from church for Ecuador this Sunday. It looks like I will need to return early to begin a cutting-edge trial at Emory called CAR T-cell therapy. T-cells are cells in our immune system that will be harvested from my blood and shipped to a laboratory for treatment. The treated cells will then be frozen and sent back to Emory for me to receive after a dose of chemotherapy.

The theory is that these weaponized CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cells will multiply in my blood and then attack and destroy the multiple myeloma cells. I will be hospitalized two weeks for this process to take place. If the plan works, I’ll be cancer free with no need to take drugs.

I’ve told God to feel free to heal me without the scientific drama, but He is the Potter… If He brings me through the imminent tests, a wedding I am to officiate tomorrow, a short trip to the Andes, a daughter’s move to Denver, and a crazy-sounding experimental plan to fight blood cancer… it will be a summer to remember. Whatever happens, we know: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)

As always, Susan and I cherish your prayers. Have a great June and July!

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the Potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

“It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” I Corinthians 1:30

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:3-8)

How many times in His life on earth could Jesus have used equality with God to His own advantage? He was the Son; He was in the beginning; all things made had been created through Him; He had all power… and yet He gave it up and “made Himself nothing.” He chose not to use His Divinity to His own advantage.

“I will not turn stones to bread to satisfy My hunger. I will not jump off the pinnacle of the Temple to prove who I am. I’ll be content to live without a place to lay My head. I’ll let people scorn Me, lie about Me, and call Me demon-possessed. I’ll accept injustice in order to complete My purpose. And rather than call ten thousand angels to rescue Me from the Cross, I’ll offer My life as a ransom for you.”

Paul reasons that our life in Christ should result in a willingness to give up our advantage and “shine like stars in the universe” as we “hold out the word of life.” (see Philippians 2:16)

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:1-4)

As we live in Christ… and as Christ lives in us… this is what God is producing in His children.

“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care — then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death — and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.” Philippians 2:1-8 — The Message

Perhaps there is no more well-known Christian testimony than that of the apostle Paul, recorded in Acts 9. In Acts 22, while under arrest, Paul defends himself in Jerusalem by recounting what happened to him on the road to Damascus… a city very much in the news today.

I don’t think Paul’s only objective was to escape imprisonment; he wanted people to know that his message of Jesus the Christ is true and life changing. “Look, my bothers, I used to be just like you! I was taught the Scriptures by the finest teachers and I was zealous for God. I even persecuted those who claimed Jesus to be Messiah. I held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, and when he said he saw Jesus standing by the throne of God, I thought he blasphemed. But then that same Jesus appeared to me and my life has never been the same.”

When God gives us a story to tell, humility must be our trademark. Pride prevents us from confessing our wrongs or admitting our confusion or sharing errors in thinking. The servant of God must be willing to be real with others and to embrace weakness. Paul knew he was not a ‘changed man’ because of his heritage or brilliance or effort… he was saved by grace.

The greatest result of any testimony is for others to see Jesus for who He is and be drawn to the Father by the loving Holy Spirit. Paul did not want to gain prestige for himself… he wanted all to know that the Jesus he once persecuted is the risen King of kings who will soon return to this earth. He wanted every listener to believe his story and put faith in the Son of God.

“Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.” (Acts 22:18) The Lord simply told Paul what we know is true: many will not believe. But does that prevent us from sharing the truth? Why did Paul go from town to town proclaiming a message he knew would get him in trouble? Why did he endure beatings, arrests, and imprisonment?

It is true that God called him and sent him, but Paul understood as well as anyone that had he not been confronted by the Lord, he would have been lost. Paul told his story and explained the Gospel because he wanted everyone to have eternal life. What he had been freely given, he wanted to give to others. When this is our objective, God receives honor and glory.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:15-17